Al Duhail coach Christophe Galtier Safri spoke to the media ahead of their 2024-2025 season Ooredoo Stars League Week 6 match against Al Shahania.

“I was keen this week to focus on not relaxing or feeling overconfident, especially after the big win we achieved against Al Sadd in the last match.

“I asked the players to continue to focus and be more determined during every match we play and to avoid the laxity that may affect some, especially after the strong results we achieve during our matches, and this is very dangerous when we face a team that is struggling in the standings.

“It is good to have some advantage in terms of points and standings due to the length of the season, in addition to some unscheduled obstacles such as injuries or unexpected results, which also gives us some comfort during periods of decline, but we have to maintain balance.

“I learned that there are some rumours that confirm that our team will secure the title if we win against Al Shahania and this is completely untrue. There are 16 matches, equal to 48 points, remaining in the league, and we hope to win against Al Shahania in order to continue advancing at the top of the standings,” said Galtier.

Al Duhail player Ibrahim Kader said, “Certainly, the match will be difficult and not easy as some expect and the technical staff stressed the need to maintain high focus and continue to provide good performance after the important victory over Al Sadd in the last round, but it has become a thing of the past and we must focus on the future.

“In football, every match has its own calculations and we must deal with each match with all seriousness to achieve positive results.”